Mariah Carey gets ‘Butterfly’ 20th anniversary vinyl picture disc

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mariah Carey’s Butterfly with the release of a collector’s edition 12″ vinyl picture disc –featuring the album’s iconic original cover photo and a special note from Carey to her fans — on Friday, October 20th.

Butterfly is my favorite album,” says Carey in a press release. “It’s the most personal work I’ve ever done and will always be a defining moment in my career and in my life. I’m so happy to celebrate this anniversary with such a special release! Stay tuned for more surprises!”

Originally released on September 16, 1997 by Columbia Records, Butterfly, Carey’s sixth studio album, was one of the 1990’s most-avidly-anticipated albums and quickly established itself as both a commercial (RIAA certified 5x Platinum) and artistic success. The songs and sounds of Butterfly helped shape and define the pop/R&B music and cultural zeitgeist of its era and beyond.

At the time of Butterfly‘s release, Carey was already the biggest-selling female artist of the decade, having sold more than 80 million records since her debut in 1990. “Honey,” the album’s first single, became an instant hit on multi-format radio while a groundbreaking video for the track — co-directed by Carey and Daniel Pearl and shot by Paul Hunter — rocketed into across-the-board heavy rotation on MTV, VH1, BET, and the Box. When “Honey” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its release, it became–according to that week’s Billboard Bulletin (September 4, 1997)–“….her third single to open in the top spot and her 12th No. 1 overall, giving her the most chart-toppers of any solo female artist in the rock era. In the history of the Hot 100, only six singles have debuted at No. 1 and Carey owns half of them.”

Butterfly premiered 11 new compositions written by Carey with some of pop music’s most illustrious collaborators: “Honey” (produced by Sean “Puffy” Combs for Bad Boy Entertainment, Inc., The Ummah, Stevie J., and Carey); “Butterfly” (produced and arranged by Carey and Walter Afanasieff); “My All” (produced and arranged by Carey and Walter Afanasieff); “The Roof” (produced by Poke and Tone for Track Masters Entertainment, and Mariah Carey); “Fourth of July” (produced and arranged by Carey and Walter Afanasieff); “Breakdown” (produced by Carey, Stevie J., and Sean “Puffy” Combs for Bad Boy Entertainment, Inc.); “Babydoll” (produced by Carey and Cory Rooney); “Close My Eyes” (produced and arranged by Carey and Walter Afanasieff); “Whenever You Call” (produced and arranged by Carey and Walter Afanasieff); “Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)” (co-produced by Carey and David Morales for Def Mix Productions); and “Outside” (produced and arranged by Carey and Walter Afanasieff; co-produced by Cory Rooney).

The 12th track on Butterfly is Carey’s heart-stopping cover of Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” (from Purple Rain) recorded as a duet with Dru Hill. Guest artists on Butterfly include Mase & The Lox (on “Honey”) and Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone from Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony (on “Breakdown”).

Picture Disc

[one_half]Side A:

1. Honey
2. Butterfly
3. My All
4. The Roof
5. Fourth of July
6. Breakdown[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Side B:

1. Babydoll
2. Close My Eyes
3. Whenever You Call
4. Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)
5. The Beautiful Ones
6. Outside[/one_half_last]

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com